tree overhangs fence

[TheWhizzz]

hi guys n gals
i live next to a school that has loads of trees overhanging the fence. the trees are the property of the school i went and got a quote to trim back the trees and was quoted £300+ is there anyway i could force the council to cut back the trees and get them to take away the rubbish anyone know?? i know i can cut the trees back and put the branches over the fence but the trees go up to 16 ft hight and i cant reach any one got any ideas?

[scotman]

Have you approached the school Head and asked them to arrange pruning?

[ChuckFickens]

Can't answer your question, except to say you can't just put the bits cut off over the fence. You have to offer to return them to the school but if they say no it's your responsibility to dispose of them.

[murraymints]

in England there is a high trees act that requires the owners to keep trees in good order,size etc...we are just going through the process up here in Scotland to legislate for nuisance trees, phone council and ask....I have a problem with a neighbours leylandii....nightmare...

[buildersmate]

Murraymints is merely demonstrating that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing when trying to advise others.
There is no such thing as a high trees act (in England at any rate) and what is probably being referred to is the practice of dealing with high hdeges under the 'statutory nuisance' legislation. This has to be invoked by the local council (who invariably charge a fee to the applicant).
In any event, this legislation is unlikely to be usable for this purpose.

The legal answer is that you cannot force the owner of the land to cut the trees. You can DIY it and return the cut pieces, but you cannot cross-charge your costs back to the landowner.

[TheWhizzz]

ok thanks for the replies

[ubasses]

As Scotman said have you tried speaking to the head of the school, they will probably have contractors they can call in and get the job done. That is what happened here, although it was done through the Parish Council. If you haven't raised the subject with them they are probably unaware that it is a problem, thinking you are happy with the growth giving you privacy from the school.